Hey there, sai here. I don't own this story. well...not really, winter-rae does. so, don't yell at me k?

Chapter 1: Separation

Land and sea have always been joined but also separated. The sea craves the land as seen when the waves crash against it; yearning for the simple caress. Yet the farther out to sea you go the farther away the earth becomes. The land refuses to leave the sea as there is always a bottom no matter how deep the sea might be. Yet the sea is always changing constantly beating upon the earth, shaping it.

The creatures of land have long been intrigued by the mysterious sea and what lies beneath it. Many have lost their lives trying to find out its secrets while others are content to respect the sea. They use it to supply food for their homes and families.

Creatures of the sea live in solitude and hardly dare to venture up to the surface. Merpeople are one such race. They both fear and respect the land dwellers. However there is always certain sea dweller that longs to be reunited with the land and chooses to leave the sea.

And that is where our story begins.

"Where you headed this time Bryan?"

The platinum haired youth looked up to see his red headed best friend. He entered the sitting room of their small home and placed his hands on his hips. Bryan smirked at him and then shrugged.

"It's a nice morning," he said, "I thought I would do some fishing."

The red head, Tala, smiled in return but also shook his head.

"I'll never understand your fascination with the water," he said. Tala and Bryan had lived together ever since Bryan had found Tala washed up on the shore six years ago on one of his fishing trips. Tala was badly hurt and near death when Bryan decided to take him home and nursed him back to health.

When Tala regained consciousness he had been disoriented and afraid but Bryan calmed him and was finally able to get him to speak. Tala quickly told him about the boat he had been traveling on and how it had hit the rocks in a storm and was destroyed. Bryan had let him stay until he was well again and in his gratitude Tala cooked for him.

Neither of them was really sure when Tala became a permanent member of the household but neither questioned it. They enjoyed each other's company and while they were nearly complete opposites they got a long very well. Tala had never ventured near the sea as he said that it was untrustworthy and preferred the land. Bryan on the other hand could hardly be seen on land as he loved the water.

Bryan slipped on his sandals and grabbed his net, small harpoon and dagger from their spots on the wall. He tied the net to the belt of his shorts, slipped the dagger in his pocket, and gripped the harpoon with the hook directed to the floor. He looked back at Tala who was eating some fruit which Bryan had left out.

"When will you be back?" Tala asked chewing thoughtfully, "Spencer asked us over."

"Not sure," Bryan replied, "I will be home before that though."

"Okay then," Tala said, "Be careful."

"I will."

Tala waved to his friend as he left. Bryan walked through the small seaside village taking in the crisp sea air. He loved this place; it was small and quiet for the most part; aside for Ian and Mystel, two local boys who often got into trouble with the elders. Speaking of which, the two of them were already hassling Hilary who owned the small shop that sold various fruits and vegetables.

"Hey there's Bryan!" Ian said excitedly. Ian was a short boy with a rather large nose and indigo hair with red eyes. His partner in crime, Mystel, was tanned with blonde hair and blue eyes; they were rarely without one another.

"Hi Bryan!" Mystel chirped as they fell into step next to the young man.

"Morning," Bryan replied, "Getting into trouble already?"

"Of course not!" Ian replied sounding insulted, "Besides, you're only in trouble if you get caught. Are you going fishing again?"

Bryan nodded.

"Tala and I are eating with Spencer tonight," he said, "I was hoping to catch something and trade it for some fruit. So if you don't mind I would appreciate if you didn't get Hilary mad, I'll need her to be in a good mood when I get back."

Ian and Mystel exchanged grins.

"Okay Bryan," Mystel said, "See you later!"

Bryan waved to them and continued on his way towards the beach. The village was 'ruled' over by a young lord named Enrique. Bryan never had anything to do with him but he knew Enrique ran things well so he didn't complain. Enrique made sure the people in the village were looked after and there was never a shortage of food or supplies.

The beach was empty today, a nice turn out for Bryan as it sometimes had a few people walking along it, either swimming or just enjoying the sights. Not that he minded but often times he preferred to be alone and hearing people shout as they ran along the golden sand just didn't appeal to him at all.

Down towards the east end of the beach was where the larger fishing boats were tied to the docks; Bryan avoiding this area as best he could. He was a good fisherman and was often hassled by the others to come and work for them and tell them how he knew the good and bad days for fishing; something which annoyed him to no end.

Lee, Kevin, and Ray were the worst for doing this. It also didn't help that Ray was infatuated with Bryan and confessed his love for him at least once a day. Bryan rejected him every time of course, he had no interest in Ray, and in fact he found him annoying on the best of days. Ray never seemed to be bothered by the rejection as he was also bedding the local baker in the village; Oliver.

To the west side of the beach was where Bryan liked to fish. There was a small rock face where he enjoyed jumping off of when he just wanted to swim, and it was also a perfect place to bask in the sun and enjoy a quiet day. The reef was not far off from the rock face, Bryan mostly avoided that area, not wanting to disturb or ruin it. The reef was a beautiful place to just watch, the different color fish, the way the sun hit the water; that place was at peace with the world.

The only downside to the east end of the beach was the fact that there was an odd individual who lived in a small shack there. His name was Brooklyn, he might have been odd but he was decent enough. He was kind to Bryan as they both respected the sea. On another downside, Brooklyn had been known to throttle and kill someone if they got to close and tried to do something that, in his mind, was wrong. Bryan had helped him out of trouble a few times but he wasn't sure how long it would be before Brooklyn was taken away.

Bryan climbed into his boat, which was in its usual place, near the rock face, and pushed off. Grabbing the oar he steered the boat out into the water. It didn't take him long to get to his favourite fishing place. He grabbed his makeshift anchor and tossed it over. He pulled off his red shirt, strapped his dagger to his leg, grabbed his harpoon and leapt into the blue/green water.

He loved the feel of the water against his skin, cool and refreshing. Before getting to the actual task at hand he enjoyed the still calm of the sea and relished in the silence.

'Perfect conditions,' he thought to himself as he steered himself to the surface. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a few deep breaths before going under again, looking for proper game.

His mother had told him, before she died, that he was almost part fish. His father hated hearing her say that and would snap at her to be quiet. Bryan found that his mother had been somewhat right. His eyesight was sharp even under water and after timing himself he found that five minutes was the record for which he could hold his breath. Any longer than that and he was in trouble.

There was fish swimming every which way beneath him. He dived lower and picked up a sparkling red sea shell. He placed it in the bag at him hip and continued his work.

'Another find for Spencer,' he thought. His burly blonde friend long collected pretty things from the sea's floor and though he went on these searches alone he always showed Bryan what he found.

After spearing a few fish Bryan began to feel uncomfortable. He knew his time was running short but that wasn't what was bothering him, he felt as if he was being watched by someone. He slowly checked his surroundings, making sure that a shark was not sneaking up on him. Once he was satisfied he came to the surface and climbed into his boat. He caught his breath and then heaved up the anchor.

'I better call it a day,' he thought, 'Tala will be wondering where I am if I don't get back soon. But it is a nice day out, he'll understand.'

He decided to risk it. He dipped the oar into the water and took to watching the village from the water. It was nice watching the people go about their business from this point of view.

"Damn it, hold him still!"

"He keeps squirming!"

"Imagine what price a catch like this will get us!"

Bryan frowned as these voices carried on the wind to his ears. They were coming from behind the rock face, no doubt near the reef. Bryan quickly turned his boat around and paddled towards them, but making sure to stay out of sight. He tied his boat to one of the rocks and slipped into the water, taking his dagger with him. He watched as a large fishing boat, piloted by three men, was starting to haul in a net with their catch.

"Damn he's a tough one!"

Bryan knew at least one of those voices, Hiro; he was a local treasure hunter and all around bad news. He took foreigners out on his boat with promises of finding treasure, for a price of course. The others on the boat had to be from somewhere pretty far off; Bryan didn't recognize the accents even. He quietly drifted closer until he was behind a rock almost right next to their boat.

"I didn't think they existed!" one of the men said.

"I promised you treasure didn't I?" Hiro asked.

"Are we going to go back for the other one?"

"No," Hiro replied, "We'll leave it there, it's hurt anyway and of no use to us."

Bryan's curiosity was officially aroused. He took another breath and sank beneath the surface, coming along the underside of their boat. What he saw nearly made him lose all of the precious air he had taken into his lungs.

'No way,' he thought, 'it couldn't be.'